Why Does My Dog Poop in the House after Going Outside?

It can be frustrating when you let your dogs outside to do their business, and when they come back in, they relieve themselves in your home instead of outside as they were supposed to. There can be many factors that can be the cause of this, and we will work to explain them here for you in this article. 

You might be left wondering what is making your dog go to the toilet inside your house, and the issue can become difficult to deal with if you are unsure what is happening. Finding the cause of the problem can help you to be able to solve it more easily, and you might be able to prevent some of these situations from occurring or even entirely eliminate this issue altogether. You never know what might be going on in your dog’s head, and while we can’t simply ask them what the problem is, we can look at their behaviour and monitor any changes that may be occurring. Then, you can start to identify what might be causing this behaviour and work to find a solution.

Why Does My Dog Poop in the House After Going Outside?

Dogs that are fully house trained may suddenly start to do their business inside the house, even if you are continuously letting them outside. This could be for a variety of reasons, like a health condition that has made them lose control or even other simpler things like stress and anxiety. The first thing that you should do if you are concerned is to take them to a veterinarian, as they will be able to tell you if it is a medical problem. If this is the case, then it is possible that it could be treated, but you might also find that there is nothing physically wrong with your dog. We will explain some of the reasons why your dog might be displaying this kind of behaviour below. 

Anxiety

One of the first reasons why your dog might be toileting inside the house is because they are afraid or anxious. This is not uncommon in dogs, especially in certain breeds. There are lots of situations that could arise that could be giving your dog anxiety, and some of these things could be loud noises, other dogs, and even other people. If a dog is not feeling comfortable in their surroundings, they might hold it in for longer than they should. Eventually, they will get to a point where they are not physically able to do so for any longer, hence why it can occur in the house. 

Going to the toilet outside can actually make your dog feel highly vulnerable when they are in an anxious state. A dog that believes that they are in danger or trouble is not likely going to want to open themselves up to this kind of vulnerability.

If your dog is an anxious rescue, then it might be worth getting some puppy pads to train them before you move onto outdoor training. This can help to build up their confidence and help them to learn where they should or shouldn’t be going to the toilet. With other dogs, you should avoid letting them outside when there is something around that gives them anxiety. For example, if fireworks scare them, do not let your dog outside when they are going off. You can also seek professional help to desensitise your dog to whatever is troubling them.

A Change in Their Routine

Another common reason for a dog to toilet inside the house is due to the fact that their routine has been changed. Perhaps you got a new job, or you have started to work from home. Your dog might take some time to adjust to the changes in times of being let outside to do their business. A change in routine can also bring on anxiety in some dogs, which can lead to unwanted toileting inside your home. It can also lead them to eat and drink at different times, which will affect the times in which they need to relieve themselves. All of these things combined could be the source of your problems at home.

To deal with this, the first thing that you can do is to give them some time to adjust. Not all dogs are comfortable with change, and it might just take them a little bit longer than others to adjust. There are also some other things that you can do, like keeping mealtimes at sociable hours of the day, so that they don’t desperately need to go right when you have gone off to bed. This will make it much easier to get into a routine. Also, try to keep mealtimes to roughly the same time every day, and they may start to catch on to their new routine, and learn to expect it. The most important thing is consistency. 

Bad Diet

If you are feeding your dog the cheapest food that you could possibly find, then you might want to look at the ingredients just to double-check that what you are feeding them is providing them with everything that they need. Premium dog foods are recommended, but we can understand that not everybody has the budget to accommodate for this. However, there are cheaper dog foods that are complete and contain beneficial ingredients, but you might have to do some digging to find them. The more nutrients that are in the food, the less waste that there will be. Therefore, stools are likely to be less frequent, and your dog might not need to go as often. 

Another factor to consider that is related to your dog’s diet is any change in diet. If you have recently changed the food that they are eating, they can take some time to adjust. It can also give them an upset stomach, which means that they don’t always have control over when they need to go. To combat this, make sure that the food that you are feeding your dog is balanced and complete. If their food is giving them a bad stomach, you might want to consider using a different brand. If you are struggling with your dog’s diet, then you can speak to a vet, and they can advise you on what you should do next. One thing that you definitely should do is make sure that the food doesn’t contain any chemicals or other unwanted ingredients.

Old Age

As dogs get older, they can start to lose control of the muscles in the bladder, which often leads to unwanted urine in your home. Unfortunately, dogs that have these types of conditions sometimes can’t get any better. Older dogs, just like puppies, find it difficult to hold their bladders for long periods of time, and they need to be let outside more frequently. More often than not, if your senior dog has gone to the toilet inside, it was probably not on purpose. 

To deal with this problem, one of the best things to do is to try and let them out more frequently. If you are not able to do this yourself, you could consider hiring a dog sitter for when you are not home. Another option is to buy puppy pads to help protect your floors and make it easier to clean up when accidents do happen. 

Most importantly, never get angry with your senior dog for the toileting inside the house because it really isn’t their fault. They struggle to hold it in, and accidents can happen. Shouting at them is going to make them anxious, and you just need to be patient with them.

The Weather

Not all dogs appreciate going outside when it is raining, or if the weather is bad. While some may love the snow and cold weather, others will detest it. It is also not uncommon for dogs to dislike going out in the rain. Sometimes, this also means that they won’t go to the toilet in this weather either. After holding it in for a long period of time, eventually, it will lead to an accident. Sometimes it really is this simple. 

Separation Anxiety

Lots of dogs are perfectly happy to be left to their own devices, but others do not enjoy being left alone. If you are constantly coming home to an unwanted mess in your home, then it might be possible that your dog has separation anxiety. As we have briefly mentioned, when dogs are anxious, they might go to the toilet unexpectedly. Try your best not to leave your dog alone for more than a few hours at a time. If this is unachievable for you, you could also consider getting a dog sitter to come and keep them company.

You can also try and leave things in the house for them to keep themselves occupied with while you are at work. You could get your dog a new toy, or something that is going to keep their attention away from your absence.